The instant invention relates to toys and more particularly to a mechanism for randomly producing sparks in a toy.
It has generally been found that toys which are capable of producing sparks frequently have high levels of appeal. Consequently, a variety of different types of spark producing mechanisms have been heretofore available for use in toys of different types. For the most part, the heretofore available spark producing mechanisms have comprised abrasive elements which contact flint elements for producing sparks during relative movement therebetween. However, virtually all of the heretofore available spark producing mechanisms of this type have included one or more rigidly mounted flint elements which produce sparks as they contact an abrasive surface during controlled movement of either the flint elements or the abrasive surface. Consequently, virtually all of the heretofore available sparking mechanisms have produced relatively controlled sparking effects. It has been found that sparking mechanisms of this type are generally less than entirely effective when they are used for simulating the types of random sparking actions associated with items, such as power tools and the like.
The instant invention provides a new sparking mechanism which is operative for randomly producing sparks so that it is capable of more closely simulating the types of random sparking actions associated with certain types of apparatus and machinery, including power tools. More specifically, the instant invention provides a spark producing mechanism comprising a rotatable abrasive element and at least one flint element which is operative for randomly contacting the abrasive element to randomly produce sparks. Still more specifically, the spark producing mechanism of the instant invention comprises a housing defining an enclosed interior area and including a transparent wall portion, and a rotatable abrasive element in the housing which cooperates with the housing for defining a confined or enclosed cavity therebetween. The spark producing mechanism further comprises at least one flint element which is loosely captured in the cavity between the housing and the abrasive element and means for rotating the abrasive element in the housing. Accordingly, during rotation of the abrasive element, the flint element is free to travel loosely in the cavity so that it can randomly contact and deflect off of the abrasive surface to randomly produce sparks in the cavity during rotation of the abrasive element. The abrasive element preferably comprises an axially rotatable circular disk having an abrasive primary face thereon which cooperates with the housing to define the enclosed cavity. The abrasive element preferably comprises a sandpaper disk which defines the primary face thereon, and the spark producing mechanism preferably comprises a plurality of flint elements which are loosely received in the cavity. The circular disk preferably also has a secondary face thereon, and the spark producing mechanism preferably further comprises a socket on the secondary face and a rotatable element comprising a simulated power tool component which is operative for randomly producing sparks during rotation thereof. Accordingly, the socket and the rotatable element are also rotated when the circular disk is rotated to simulate the rotation of a power tool component. Further, the sparks which are produced by the flint elements during rotation of the circular disk appear to be coming from the rotatable power tool component to more realistically simulate the operation of an actual power tool.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the instant invention to provide an effective mechanism for randomly producing sparks in a toy.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide a sparking mechanism in which one or more flint elements randomly contact an abrasive surface to randomly produce sparks.
An even further object of the instant invention is to provide an effective sparking mechanism which can be utilized for producing sparks in a manner similar to that of an actual power tool, such as a welder.